St. Malo, France is an ancient walled city situated on the North Coast of the Province of Brittany. It is now a busy fishing port and seaside resort, with a long and proud history of nautical explorers, traders and pirates. The city sustained damage during World War II by the Germans but has since been restored. It was named for the 6th century monk who converted the locals to Christianity. It was also an important port in the voyages of discovery. Cartier sailed from there to Canada in 1534. Soon after, St. Malo began to flourish as a trading port.

Old walled city of Saint-Malo

From the ramparts of St. Malo, one can peer down over the beautiful town, built in solid-gray granite with uniform black slate roofs. The city became notorious as the home of ruthless French privateers and pirates, terrorizing all on the high seas. Even the French King had a certain grudging respect for them, and often helped fill their coffers with booty.

Le Petit Bé: fort Vauban à Saint-Malo

During the middle ages, the city was a fortified island at the mouth of the Rance River, controlling not only the estuary but the open sea beyond. From 1490-1493, St. Malo declared itself to be an independent Republic, taking the motto, “not French, not Breton, but Malouins.” St. Malo is the most visited place in Brittany.

Le Petit Bé: fort Vauban à Saint-Malo

We were lucky to have a wonderful tour guide who took us high up onto the ancient ramparts, overlooking a wild sea. He told us that on full moons the tide could rise up to fourteen meters, to the level of the city promenade in a matter of minutes, possibly swallowing up anything in its path. I will never forget the image of the sun setting, as we trudged the beach towards the Petite Be, a gigantic Medieval ruin that loomed up like a fairytale castle, floating on its lonely island in that turquoise sea.